


Bring My Walls Down

by Biosahar



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Drama, Falling In Love, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Romance, Straight men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 14:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5789011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biosahar/pseuds/Biosahar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James is an Atheist professor struggling to hide his lack of belief from his very religious mother. He will experience ups and downs upon proposing to his girlfriend but who would think his meeting with the businessman Nicholas will bring a whole new unexpected change to his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Will you marry me?”

These four words resonated in the head of the dark haired man as he skipped through the pages of a book titled ‘In Search For A Meaning’. The twenty-seven years old professor was stuck on the same sentence for a good five minutes but couldn’t extract a single meaning out of it without the memory flashing back in front of his eyes, distracting him.

Exasperated, James Hampton clapped the book shut and positioned it aside. He couldn’t concentrate on his reading and forcing himself wasn’t the key.

He let his eyes wander over the wooden surface of his clean desk. He had just rearranged it moments ago. After making sure every single book was neatly put back in the bookshelf where it belonged, James had decided to put his small favorite circular clock on the front alongside a rectangular photo of him and his girlfriend -or should he now call her, fiancée.

A day ago was their one year anniversary and James invited his girlfriend to one of the neatest restaurants in London to celebrate. Before that, he made sure to ask every single one of his friends and family members what would make his lover happy. To his surprise, they all –And as if they were plotting this behind his back -had the exact same answer:

“Propose to her!”

James of course had given it a thought every now and then. He had known Jessica Davidson for over a year now and was sure he would never love anyone as much as he loves her. However, the thought of marriage always set him a bit off, made him hesitate.

After his ten years of indulgence in both studying and teaching philosophy, Joseph knew that hesitation was synonym of ‘Fear of regret’.

James pushed himself off the desk and rose up. He turned his back to the desk and faced the open window in front of him. It gave on a night crowded London street.

His hand slipped into his pocket to pull out a packet of cigarettes. He slid one in between his lips and lit it up while reminiscing of the rest of yesterday’s events.

The ambiance around the restaurant was utterly romantic. Exactly what one would expect from a famous five stars restaurant. Jessica was pleased and James could notice the excitement in her tone as she held back from smiling whenever their eyes met.

As the night grew closer to an end, James pushed his hesitation aside and kneeled down at his girlfriend’s waist height. The words that came from his mouth were enough to send the entire restaurant in a wave of applause and bring tears to Jessica’s eyes. However, his heart throbbed. Be it from excitement or regret, James spent the entire night and the next morning questioning himself which it was.

 

A heavy sigh escaped the man’s lips along with a line of smoke that vanished through the cold night air. Proposing in one hand was an exhausting task but the worst had yet to come. The next morning, James had received a call from his fiancée informing him that James’s mother is holding as a celebration for the new couple. Not only his mother didn’t tell him directly but she was planning this without their approval. With the excitement in his fiancée’s tone, James felt obliged to accept and end the call.

The news had brought nothing but happiness to everyone around him including his mother who spent the past years asking him when he was planning to settle down and get married. But James still had mixed feelings about this. As if a part of him was in denial. Was he that afraid of commitment? He wondered.

James reached back to extinguish his cigarette in the ashtray. He quickly eyed the clock. It showed almost midnight. He regretted not finishing his book like planned but he had an excuse. Tomorrow was Saturday, the celebration party is supposed to be held in his mother’s household and James had to be anything but late.

After performing his every night ritual which included face cleaning and teeth brushing James slid under his warm blanket and waited for sleep to come.

 

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

As a university professor, James has gotten used to waking up before the sun and putting everything in order before heading out. Therefore, his Saturdays and Sundays were the only days of the week where he was able to rest his head and care less about time. However, this Weekend was an exception and not a good one.

James has forced himself up after seven hours of sleep. He took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and slid into his suit. On his way out, James peeked one last time in the mirror only to notice he had neglected his two days beard. He hated to admit that he was a perfectionist and an overly hygienic person, whether those two traits were favorable or not, they made his everyday life a living hell.

A quarter before eight o’clock and James had to choose between trimming his beard or grabbing breakfast on his way out. Few minutes later he ended up arriving at the Davidson’s house with a clean face and an empty stomach.

After his father’s death at the age of five, James’s mother waited an entire fifteen years to raise her son into the man he became before she decided to remarry. James was never against her marriage and he always enjoyed the company of her new husband Scott Davidson which became more like a father to him.

James knocked on the door once and the door burst open as if he was expected. A middle-aged woman in her forties appeared with a wide smile and arms wide open.

“James, my little boy!” She greeted the man with a tight hug and invited him in.

“It’s good to see you, mom.” James winced at the tight hug but smiled nether less. He walked in as the woman closed the door. His eyes set on the familiar place, to his left, a large open modern living room cornered with fake plants and a big TV hung on the wall across. To his right was a long corridor that leaded to more rooms that James rarely visited. Wooden stairs cut their way in the middle, leading to the second floor where his old room was.

“Did you have breakfast yet, James?” She asked.

“Well…” James avoided her gaze.

“My god, look at you.” The woman approached him and held his face in between her hands squeezing them tightly. “You’re so thin already, how long are you still planning to neglect your health? You should eat!”

James forced out a smile. His mother was the overreacting type. Even after moving out from the house, she still scolded him through the phone for working too much and not eating enough, which were two real facts.

“Sit down, breakfast’s almost ready and Jessica will be here soon.”

“She’s not here yet? Wait, when is the party supposed to begin?”

“Two in the afternoon. Did Jessica not tell you?” Upon receiving a disappointed, confused and annoyed expression, the woman waved her hand hastily. “Ah whatever, grab a sit, you need to eat.”

James wanted to sigh loudly and curse Jessica for depriving him from his usual sleep on Saturdays. In yesterday’s call, she only mentioned he should ‘show up early’ and James understood it wrong.

However, now was too late to regret his few extra hours of sleep. James’s eyes followed his mother’s figure as she disappeared into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Mr. Davidson.” James greeted as soon as he stepped inside the living room. He noticed the forty-five years old man sitting on his favorite couch reading a book. James took a sit on the couch next to him.

It took the white-haired man few seconds before he could take his eyes off the book. He adjusted his glasses and met his gaze.

“Good morning, James. It’s rare to see you this early in the morning.”

James felt a rush of embarrassment cover his face. Imposing himself at such an hour was utterly rude and he couldn’t but feel ashamed. Although this was once his house, after moving out and his mother remarrying he kind of felt like he needed to give her some space to live her life quietly. However, he had to make sure to visit once a week or else god knows what his mother would be up to. Last time he tried, she showed up at the university. That was the worst case scenario.

“I’m sorry. Jessica failed to tell me the exact time mom mentioned, and I ended up coming…a bit too early.” James joined his hands and crossed his fingers while looking down.

Mr. Davidson let out a small laugh. He finally decided to close his book and set it on the table.

“That is very much like Jessica, indeed. Well, it’s still good to have you around, son.”

James responded with a polite smile. It warmed his heart whenever Mr. Davidson treated him like his son. Although he still refers to him with his last name, James’s and Mr. Davidson’s relationship was a good one. However, habits die hard and James grew used to calling him by his last name.

 James’s eyes fell on the book left on the table only to notice it was about famous religious men throughout history.

“Mr. Davidson, I’ve always been wondering but I guess it would be rude not to ask directly instead. Do you consider yourself a religious person?” James was straight-forward in his question. He and Mr. Davidson have had more than one deep conversation about all kind of matters from philosophy to religion back to science, but he never directly asked about the man’s spiritual beliefs.

Mr. Davidson opened his mouth then closed it. He looked hesitant for a second but ended up speaking rather comfortably.

“I wouldn’t say I’m religious, yet I wouldn’t say I’m not either.” He responded with a smile. “I do believe in the existence of an outer force. A ruler, an almighty, a god, you are free to call it however you like. But I also believe that this outer force isn’t enough reason for us to strangle ourselves from the beautiful things life offers us.” As he spoke these words, the older man’s eyes drifted towards the kitchen door. His wife walked out with a plate full of delicious food, her mouth open, ready to join in the conversation.

“Still saying those things, you old man? When will you understand that god does exist and that his powerful force is visible all around us? As for the beauty of life, it resides in our faith in him.” His wife laughed out. She put the plate on the table and sat down beside James. “I swear to god, James. No matter how much I tell him, he never listens.”

James forcefully laughed. He always preferred not to speak in the matter when his mother was around.

She was a Catholic. She believed deeply in god and worshiped him with her entire being. Jessica on the other hand ended up more like Mr. Davidson. Religious yet open-minded and both respected James’s lack of belief. However, James was thankful neither Jessica nor Mr. Davidson told his mother. He doesn’t even want to imagine the look on her face if she finds out he was Atheist.

"Talking about religion, you’re joining us tomorrow for Church, right, dear?”

The question came in as a shock for James. His expression froze and his eyes escaped towards Mr. Davidson whose eyes clearly said ‘You should tell her’.

Seven years since he moved out, James has been constantly lying to his mother about attending church. His mother later on found out and James built up another lie about not being consistent. His mother was less upset but James ended up digging deeper into his own grave.

After a long awkward silence which James’s mother found suitable for pouring tea in the three ceramic cups available and handing over each one to her husband and son, she finally brought her attention back towards James.

“Oh, Oh! I’m sorry.” She suddenly apologized, receiving surprised gazes from the two men in the room. “You must have planned to go with Jessica and her parents, right? If so, I wouldn’t want to-“

“No, no, mom.” James replied dryly. For a second back there he hoped his mother could see right through him and put an end to this entire act.

James took in a deep breath and sipped from his cup. Once he calmed down, he faced his mother with a gentle smile. “Of course I will go with you. Jessica would be more than happy to tag along.”

A wide genuine smile appeared on the wrinkled woman’s face before she hugged her son. James struggled to keep his balance and not spill any of the cup’s content. He showed a tired smile and his eyes searched for Mr. Davidson’s who shrugged off and stood up.

“Well, I’d better get going. I have to be at the Workshop in time.” Mr. Davidson reached to pick up his book. James understood he was simply looking for a quieter place to read the rest of its content.

“Scott! Today is supposed to be your son’s engagement celebration. Can’t you let the boys take care of it alone for at least today?”

James watched as his mother spoke while buttering a piece of toast. She has mastered the art of multi-tasking, a thing James could not achieve in a hundred years.

“The boys get lost when I’m not around. And I’ll be home before lunch so you don’t have to worry.”

Mr. Davidson made it clear that he was leaving and no matter what his wife says he wasn’t planning to get back on his words.

James could hear his mother sigh loudly. Once her husband has left, she turned to face her son.

“Anyway, have this and this and also this. You need to gain a little bit of weight, for god’s sake!” 

“I can’t eat all of that, mom.”

“You will!” She insisted.

And thus began James’s nightmare. Whenever he came around, his mother was determined to make him eat as much as possible. He always felt like gaining a pound or two during the day of his visit. But today was an exception and with his empty stomach he wasn’t ready to complain.

Someone knocked on the door and James watched his mother rush to open it. James almost bit on his tongue when he heard his fiancée’s voice pierce the silence of the house.

“Jessica!”

“Maddy!” Jessica screamed excitedly before embracing the woman. The hug seemed to take a whole minute before James was noticeable.

“Come in, come in, darling. We were just about to have breakfast. Why not join us, me and James.”

“James! Well, aren’t you early?” The woman approached the man hastily. She put a kiss on his cheek and took a sit beside him.

Since James was too busy chewing he kept glaring at the woman who chuckled in response.

“And you’re already in a suit and all. What is the meaning of this?” Jessica amusingly asked.

“From what I’ve heard, James thought the party was going to be held in the morning.” Madison answered. She brought a fourth ceramic cup and poured some tea for the new guest.

Jessica burst out laughing. The brunette seemed to enjoy herself until James pinched her nose making her whine in regret.

“How could you lie to me, you little devil?”

“Ouch, ouch. I’m sorry, sorry!” She wrapped both her hands around his wrist attempting to escape his grip. James finally released her nose and she took in a deep breath, still unable to contain her laughter. “I only realized I didn’t tell you the exact time when I hung up. How silly of me. You’ll forgive me, right, right? Jay-Jay?”

Jessica fixed her fiancé with blue ocean eyes. That gaze of hers was James’s weakness and she knew when and how to use it to her advantage. The man rolled his eyes.

“Fine.  But just for this time. You should know that nobody messes with my sleeping schedule.” James gave her a grin and Jessica let her head fall against her future husband’s shoulder.

When James lifted up his eyes he spotted his mother fixing them with a soft smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled with happiness. She looked in the verge of crying.

“Mom? Are you okay?” James asked, worried.

“Yes, I’m alright. I’m-I’m great. It’s just… The two of you remind me of the first time me and your father got engaged. I’m just too happy for you two. Jessica is such a great girl and the two of you are just perfect.” Madison’s smile widened when Jessica left James’s side to sit next to her and hug her.

“Thank you, Madison. I’m also happy to be part of your family. You were always like a mother to me.” Jessica and Madison shared a tight long hug while James watched them in silence.

It’s moments like these that made him wonder if he really made the right choice.

 

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Later that afternoon the party finally started. Although some of the guests were late, Jessica and James gave the green light for the music to play and open the buffet.

The newly engaged couple spent the entire party greeting their guests and thanking them for showing up. James grew tired of receiving the same questions and repeating the same answers. Most of them were about the date of their wedding and how many children they were planning to have, which neither the couple had yet planned.

After hours of small talk that seemed to last like forever, James sighed deeply in relief to know he had greeted every single guest in the room, when suddenly the door opened and a new couple showed up.

A tall handsome man in a navy suit accompanied by a fresh blonde woman dressed in a crimson dress stood at the entrance. They looked both in their twenties. At their sight, Jessica pulled her fiancé hurriedly towards them.

“Celina! It’s so good to see you made it!” Jessica greeted each of the two with a hug then stood back next to her fiancée. “Will you introduce us?” Jessica winked at the woman.

James was sure Celina was Jessica’s cousin but he failed to recognize the elegant man next to her. Last time they met, she was in the company of a different person.

“My bad. Me and my manners.” Celina waved off her hand to show the man standing beside her. “This is Nicholas, my new boyfriend. Nicholas, this is my cousin Jessica and her fiancé James. They’re the couple I told you about yesterday.”

With a professional smile, Nicholas stretched out his hand for a handshake.  James held it firmly and gazed directly into his ocean blue eyes.

When it came to females, James has always been comfortable around most of them for how clean they handled themselves and how well they behaved. On the other hands, most men threw him off with how badly they handled their facial skin, neglected their hygiene and lacked in fashion taste.

 However, this was one of those rare times when James gets to meet another man who shares his common sense.

“Nicholas Stevenson. Nice to meet you.” Nicholas shook his hand politely.

“Good to meet you as well, Nicholas.” James responded by shaking back his hand.

“So, so. For when is the wedding, hm?” Celina jumped into the conversation and asked with excitement.

‘ _And there we go again_ ’ James thought and rolled his eyes. Every single person in this room asked the exact same question. Luckily this time, Jessica came to the rescue.

“I still have a semester to go before graduation so it’s probably for summer. Anyway, I have a lot to tell you, Celine. How about we grab some drinks and share our stories first? It’s been a long long time, sweetie.” Jessica showed the exact same excited smile as she held her cousin and dragged her away. James wondered where she got all that energy from.

Left alone with the newly introduced man, James decided to invite him for a drink. After all, Jessica had always scolded him for not making the effort of getting new friends which didn’t bother James one bit. Between his job and Jessica he had no free time to spend around. However, he promised he will be giving it a try. After all, they will end up needing a best-man for their wedding day.

James cringed a bit at the idea. He still felt a slight regret each time he thought of it.

Standing next to the window that gave on the backyard, Nicholas looked taken by the open view outside. James had to break the peaceful moment of serenity to offer the man a drink.

“Thank you.” Nicholas accepted it gladly.

James responded with a simple nod. He stood by the man’s side, noticing they were almost the same height. James sipped some of the glass’s content. It was a good quality champagne. He could feel the strong alcohol warm up his throat and relax his body.

“So, Nicholas. What kinds of occupation are you indulged in?” James asked curiously. He slid one hand inside his pocket and held the glass in the other.

“Well, that is quite a vast topic to start from. Or was it intentional that you picked that exact question, Mr. Hampton?” Nicholas spoke in a quiet and serious tone. His thin lips parted to receive some of the champagne in his mouth. A positive expression showed on his face before he swallowed the liquid.

James narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He broke the eye contact and looked outside the window. The sky was of a pure blue. The orange sun of the afternoon caressed gently the leaves of the big tree that stood erect in the middle of the yard.

“I apologize in case it came out as rude. That wasn’t my intention.” The expression over Nicholas’s face softened and he showed a gentle smile. “I’m a businessman. As you can see, I have the very bad habit of teasing my clients to analyze their reactions and conclude certain personality traits that would help in the following negotiations. Unfortunately, habits die hard and I find myself using that method with almost everyone.”

“I can relate.” James responded, a half-smile cornering his mouth. “And yes it was intentional. I am simply surprised since it is the first time someone pointed that out.”

Nicholas’s body had relaxed. He had unfolded his arms and now faced James with an interested gaze.

“Brilliant. Exactly what you’d expect from a professor. May I ask what you teach? Oh let me guess.” Nicholas stopped for a moment to drift his eyes up to the side, thoughtful. “Psychology, Sociology…”

“Philosophy.” James answered with an amused grin.

“Oh, I was very close, wasn’t I?” Nicholas chuckled. He sipped from his glass of champagne and carried on. “I have majored in Psychology myself, so I’m very curious to meet someone from a close field.” 

“Psychology?” James repeated. “I thought you said you were a businessman.”

“Ah, that’s-uh, a pretty interesting story. Care to hear it out?” Receiving a quick nod from the professor, Nicholas finished his glass of champagne and played with it between his fingers. “Few years ago, I was pursuing my studies in order to become a Psychologist. I always had a patient for the field since I grew in a rather complicated family. But unfortunately things didn’t go as planned. My father died in an accident last year and since I was an only child I was forced to take after his place.”

“I am sorry to hear that.” James regretted asking a sensitive question.

“No need to be, Mr. Hampton. Nothing is lost. Life might take from us sometimes but it also gives us.” Nicholas stopped for a while then laughed quietly at his own words. “Somehow, I imagined you saying these words instead, professor.”

James responded with a quiet smile. Nicholas was a reserved person. He was highly conscious of his surroundings and only relaxed at certain points. James could conclude as much from the way he acted and spoke.

“You might call me James, Nicholas. I believe we’re almost the same age, after all.” James finally said. He rose his empty glass towards him. “Another drink?”

Nicholas couldn’t refuse him. Not after speaking that exact sentence. Both James and Nicholas were aware of the meaning behind it.

Once James left to fill their glasses Nicholas’s gaze fixed back on the green picture in front of his eyes.

‘Use my first name instead of my last one’ was synonym to ‘lower your defense and relax’. The way James said it included he was simply seeking a conversation nothing more nothing less. Nicholas knew he had been seen through.

The twenty-six years old business man had a hard time interacting with people and sounding polite without having to regret later on when they impose a friendship on him without his approval. James understood that in the short conversation they had. Nicholas couldn’t be more surprised.

“Interesting.” He whispered quietly to himself.  James came back with the drinks and the two men carried on having random conversations about their professional lives.

 

**TBC**


End file.
